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Ortiz resigns at La Porte


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Just now, Bobref said:

Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played?

Yes, unfortunately I do.  😂

He was a year ahead of me in school.  He graduated from PHS in 1995.  He was on Coach Buzz's 1st team in the fall of 94 (his senior year) that went on to play Castle in the 5A state title game.  TREMENDOUS 3 way player.  He played WR (lined up some at TE...different story/nightmare for a different day), DB and was one heck of a return man.  

Dude could do it all.

Went on to play at St. Joe's College in Rennsy.

Fantastic guy.  I have been lucky to stay in contact with him and Nick Wellman (who was such an underrated QB).

4 minutes ago, Bobref said:

Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played?

You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS.  Overtime win by PHS.

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Do you know what year he played at Portage? And what position he played?

David Ortiz was a senior wide receiver on Portage's 1994 5A state runner up team.  Nick Wellman was his quarterback.  Ortiz led the state in receiving the that year. Was also a great baseball player. Had a great college career at the former St. Joesph college.  Was a member of Buzea's and Mike Karpinski's staff at Michigan City before moving on to La Porte.  Very well liked guy among all the players he coaches.

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2 hours ago, DE said:

You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS.  Overtime win by PHS.

If that is the game where Portage scored the TD in overtime with a pass and great catch right at the end line, I was there.

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Just now, Bobref said:

If that is the game where Portage scored the TD in overtime with a pass and great catch right at the end line, I was there.

Like I said, unfortunately.....😂

When DO, Nick and I all coached together in Buzz's last year at PHS (06-07) the S** talking that went on between the 3 of us was 2nd to none.  LOL.  All good friends, but man did we bust each other......everything was competition between us 3.  Buzz was like the dad with 3 sons that were always at it.  GREAT memories.

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Wow, is all I have to say for LaPorte. Always tough players, great fan and community support, just have not been able to sustain success over the years as Michigan City and New Prairie have ascended the last several years. Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards? LaPorte is in a bad place with Valparaiso now in their sectional and Michigan City already there.

Crown Point is looking to be a major player in 6A sooner rather than later. A strong coaching staff, parents and community who will support the program, and administration as well, all the ingredients needed. With Merrillville out of the way, outside of Hamilton County, they have a chance with the rest of the north. Crown Point will challenge Merrillville, Valpo, and MC this year for the top spots in the DAC. 

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41 minutes ago, DACNUT said:

Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards?

Good for you. Coach Richards is a great person and a heckuva coach. He completely turned the Morton program around, and I mean off the field as well, to the point where it became a destination when open enrollment was implemented. He would be an asset to any program.

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2 hours ago, DACNUT said:

Wow, is all I have to say for LaPorte. Always tough players, great fan and community support, just have not been able to sustain success over the years as Michigan City and New Prairie have ascended the last several years. Is this finally the time people look hard at Roy Richards? LaPorte is in a bad place with Valparaiso now in their sectional and Michigan City already there.

Crown Point is looking to be a major player in 6A sooner rather than later. A strong coaching staff, parents and community who will support the program, and administration as well, all the ingredients needed. With Merrillville out of the way, outside of Hamilton County, they have a chance with the rest of the north. Crown Point will challenge Merrillville, Valpo, and MC this year for the top spots in the DAC. 

Valpo is not in La Porte's sectional anymore.

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1 hour ago, Bobref said:

Good for you. Coach Richards is a great person and a heckuva coach. He completely turned the Morton program around, and I mean off the field as well, to the point where it became a destination when open enrollment was implemented. He would be an asset to any program.

Morton hasn’t been the same since he left. Great coach and a good guy. Him and Mason have been quite the combo at City, would be funny if he left for a rival. 

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Hate to be pessimistic, but I have to think it's going to be very difficult for LaPorte to attract a high level hire. Tough situation with presumably Chesterton, Michigan City, and Valpo in their Sectional. My guess is their only attracting assistants looking for their 1st gig or an experienced HC in it for the love of coaching. I can't fathom anyone as successful as Roy Richards being interested in that job. Maybe I'm completely off base. The Slicers have fallen well behind City and can no longer hide from Valpo in 5A. Chesterton has passed them as well. 

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11 hours ago, DE said:

Yes, unfortunately I do.  😂

He was a year ahead of me in school.  He graduated from PHS in 1995.  He was on Coach Buzz's 1st team in the fall of 94 (his senior year) that went on to play Castle in the 5A state title game.  TREMENDOUS 3 way player.  He played WR (lined up some at TE...different story/nightmare for a different day), DB and was one heck of a return man.  

Dude could do it all.

Went on to play at St. Joe's College in Rennsy.

Fantastic guy.  I have been lucky to stay in contact with him and Nick Wellman (who was such an underrated QB).

You and the fellas MAY have had our 1st game of the 94 season at PHS.  Overtime win by PHS.

That '94 Portage team came out of nowhere. Bubba had just left for Valpo U and some offensive star power at QB and RB graduated after the '93 Sectional Title. I believe Wellman wasn't even named QB1 until a few weeks before the Jamboree. And Portage looked awful in the Jamboree. Lake Central came into the '94 opener with a lofty ranking and expectations of getting back to the RCA Dome. I don't think anyone in Portage expected that game to end the way it did. I think beating solid Rick Wimmer coached Merrillville 28-0 in Week 3 was when the belief set in that something special was really happening. 

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31 minutes ago, Boilernation said:

That '94 Portage team came out of nowhere. Bubba had just left for Valpo U and some offensive star power at QB and RB graduated after the '93 Sectional Title. I believe Wellman wasn't even named QB1 until a few weeks before the Jamboree. And Portage looked awful in the Jamboree. Lake Central came into the '94 opener with a lofty ranking and expectations of getting back to the RCA Dome. I don't think anyone in Portage expected that game to end the way it did. I think beating solid Rick Wimmer coached Merrillville 28-0 in Week 3 was when the belief set in that something special was really happening. 

All accurate.

We started the game w a toss pass that was incomplete which was huge for both sides.

Very good game.

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4 hours ago, Gridwatcher said:

Why is LaPorte having problems retaining head football coaches? This will be the fourth in five seasons.

Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there?

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5 hours ago, Gridwatcher said:

Why is LaPorte having problems retaining head football coaches? This will be the fourth in five seasons.

Part of the problem is that coaches from some of the best and strongest programs throughout the state are raiding other staffs and hoarding many of the up and coming hot young coaches.

Buzea poaching Ortiz from Laporte and Osika stealing young Eric Schreiber from the West Side program are two examples where rich, high resource blue bloods hurt two smaller schools who are struggling and trying to get their programs back on track.  In the name of competitive balance, is this really a good practice?  Isnt there an unwritten rule and a code of ethics between staffs, especially at the local level?

Laporte will suffer through another coaching change and fall further behind in the DAC while Buzea's all star coaching staff just keeps getting bigger.

West Side's great progress and momentum could very likely be derailed with the loss of a high impact, natural leader like Schreiber JR.  Is Schreiber the presumed "Coach in Waiting" at Hobart?

Possibly the same with Ortiz at Crown Point?

 

 

 

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44 minutes ago, Bobref said:

Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there?

DO would be, what, the 4th or 5th former HC on Buzz's staff now?

31 minutes ago, HHF said:

Part of the problem is that coaches from some of the best and strongest programs throughout the state are raiding other staffs and hoarding many of the up and coming hot young coaches.

Buzea poaching Ortiz from Laporte and Osika stealing young Eric Schreiber from the West Side program are two examples where rich, high resource blue bloods hurt two smaller schools who are struggling and trying to get their programs back on track.  In the name of competitive balance, is this really a good practice?  Isnt there an unwritten rule and a code of ethics between staffs, especially at the local level?

Laporte will suffer through another coaching change and fall further behind in the DAC while Buzea's all star coaching staff just keeps getting bigger.

West Side's great progress and momentum could very likely be derailed with the loss of a high impact, natural leader like Schreiber JR.  Is Schreiber the presumed "Coach in Waiting" at Hobart?

Possibly the same with Ortiz at Crown Point?

 

 

 

No.

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23 hours ago, Bobref said:

Coach Sharpe’s leaving had nothing to do with the school. Rather, it was a family matter. As for Coach Ortiz, I’m just musing, but Buzz has had some health issues. Who knows how long he’ll be there?

Buzea is a master recruiter and Dave Ortiz has three middle school aged sons. I think that is why he wanted him to come and rejoin him on his staff at Crown Point.  When Buzea left Portage for Michigan City the program was on probation from the IHSAA for recruiting players from East Chicago.

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On 4/14/2022 at 7:33 PM, Boilernation said:

Hate to be pessimistic, but I have to think it's going to be very difficult for LaPorte to attract a high level hire. Tough situation with presumably Chesterton, Michigan City, and Valpo in their Sectional. My guess is their only attracting assistants looking for their 1st gig or an experienced HC in it for the love of coaching. I can't fathom anyone as successful as Roy Richards being interested in that job. Maybe I'm completely off base. The Slicers have fallen well behind City and can no longer hide from Valpo in 5A. Chesterton has passed them as well. 

Your assessment of Coach Richards is a bit over the top.  

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On 4/26/2022 at 12:54 AM, HHF said:

Your assessment of Coach Richards is a bit over the top.  

That's debatable. I'm sure there's the potential that schools will pass on him due to the proven false allegations regarding his exit from Morton; however, I would wager he has been approached for openings. I would wager these openings have been better than LaPorte based on the following: 

  1. LaPorte is not a talent hotbed and they are on the verge of now having more difficult of a Sectional
  2. Is the LaPorte school board a problem for coaches? They recently gave into parent complaints and ran off a good basketball coach in Tom Wells.
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